A Bird's Always Free
by magik-blood
Summary: Will was dead. Elizabeth couldn't feel anything. J/E takes place at end of At World's End.


**W**ill was dead.

Elizabeth couldn't feel anything.

It had all happened so fast, it was just a blur - a quick glance at the subconscious, a hazy dream you know you had but just can't… remember.

Everything was going to be okay. She and Will were on the Dutchman facing Davey Jones for the final time. Jack had the heart in his hand and was mocking the undead Captain. Jones had sneered and retorted to the man's sly remarks when, without a warning, Jones turned and lunged sticking William to the breast with his sword.

Elizabeth threw herself to Will's side, Will's father threw himself to Jones and, just then, another man threw himself at a shocked Captain Jack Sparrow.

Elizabeth glanced over to see a Navy Officer pinning Jack to the deck of the ship. She squinted her eyes.

"No," she muttered beneath her breath while clutching to Will's hand. "It can't be."

Once Jack caught glimpse of his adversary, he too was in a bit of disbelief.

"Oi, scallywag turn Lieutenant," Jack mumbled with a hint of irony to his voice, "I'm in a bit of pickle right now, so if you'll excuse me," he said attempting to push Lieutenant James Norrington off of his frame. He could see that the heart had fallen to the deck just out of his reach, just out of reach of saving the whelp.

James shoved Jack back to the wooden floor, "I need to kill Jones," he coldly demanded. There was no question or hesitation in his voice. It was clear as dawn what the man had in his sights.

"No!" grunted Jack successfully pushing James backward, "I think it is only fair that the dieing man has dibs, savvy?"

"No Sparrow," retorted James whipping wet hair from his eyes, "I need to kill that… thing! Will has no part in this!"

Jack looked to Norrington with sudden realization and all seriousness in his eyes, "You don't know what your doing, mate. You don't know what will happen when you stab that heart."

James only sneered at Jack, "I haven't done much in my life I can be proud of, Jack. This is my chance."

James seemed on the brink of tears, or madness. Jack couldn't tell which.

James got to his feet and snatched the heart from the ground, Jack then grabbed his ankle, causing him to fall hard on the wet deck.

"Don't do it Norrington! You don't understand, you'll-" Jack was cut off as Norrington pushed him harshly out of his way.

What proceeded could aptly be described as chaos.

Bootstrap was absent mindedly fighting with the devil of the deep as Elizabeth cried clinging to Will's face. And, as this was all happening, James and Jack were wrestling each other for the heart.

In the end, Jack had given it his best fight, but once Jones had defeated Bootstrap, running him through and tossing him aside like an empty bottle of rum, it was all but over.

James had wounded Jack, slyly pulling a dagger from his waist band and slashing his upper arm before kicking him once brutally in the stomach. He then had the chance to lunge forward and run the same dagger through Jones's once beating organ.

Jack withered in pain, but found the stability to look up just as the dark Captain fell over the side of his ship. He then clutched his arm and turned on his back just in time to hear Elizabeth's final cry over Will's lifeless body.

James knelt over the heart, his features twisted in a strange emotionless way… maybe it was regret that pulled his lips into a deep frown or sadness that creased his brow. Whatever he was feeling, whatever possessed the sour man to stab the heart, Jack would never know for certain.

All he did know was that Norrington looked to him with fear in his eyes before the creatures of Jones's crew dragged him away.

Jack pulled himself his feet with much effort. He hastily gathered rope, hatching an impromptu plan on the spot before grabbing Elizabeth.

"No!" she cried pulling her arm back, "I can't leave him, not here, not like this!"

"Look at me!" Jack harshly jerked her back, her saddened eyes met his. He wasn't certain what emotion he was portraying to her, he didn't have a moment to think on it. "He's _gone_, that wound is fatal, I owe it to him to save you."

She sobbed as she looked up to Jack, still kneeling next to her fallen love.

"He's dead," she cried, "Why did James do this?"

Jack searched her eyes for a long moment, only one answer seemed right to him.

"He did it for you, Captain Swann."

He grabbed her lithe form in one hand that gripped a rope while his other shot his pistol, freeing them both from the sinking ship.

….And Elizabeth still couldn't feel anything. Not then, and not now as she stood on the empty island surrounded by Jack and Barbossa's crew.

Norrington had decided which side he was on, but had done it at the cost of Will's life.

Never the less, the pirates came out of the battle victoriously. A joyous win that poor William Turner had not the chance to see.

Once Norrington had realized how it was his fault that Will had perished, he said his deepest condolences to the widowed Elizabeth. She accepted the man's apology since it was him that had recovered Will's body so they could lay him to rest on the island of Shipwreck Cove.

Elizabeth had watched as his body, covered in a canvas wrapping, was lowered slowly down by men holding ropes on both sides.

Barbossa (with his beplumed hat removed) stood watching over as well, almost as sorrowfully as Elizabeth did. He had, after all, married the pair only a short time ago.

Men removed their hats, all knowing how lucky they were. Will was one of many that had fallen that day in honor of every respectful pirate, the Jolly Roger, and The Code.

"O good Jesus, hear me," Barbossa's booming voice carried on with a traditional Christian prayer. Not usually the norm for a pirate funeral but it was for William who all in all, was an honest Christina man.

"Within ye wounds hide me. Let me never be separated from ye."

Elizabeth found herself mouthing the words, never once taking her eyes from Will's body.

"From the power of darkness defend me. In the hour of me death, call me and bid me come to ye, that with your saints…." Barbossa took a long breathe, almost like a bothered sigh.

"I may praise ye… for… for ever and ever."

"Amen," said he, Elizabeth, and a handful of others.

Will was now at peace as sand neatly covered his grave and a cross of drift wood was place at the top end.

The group parted from the sad sight leaving Elizabeth alone to stand over her husband's grave.

Barbossa stopped for a moment as he went by her, "Elizabeth, what ye did today will always be remembered. What William did, will never be forgotten by any o' us."

She nodded to Barbossa before he walked past.

Elizabeth took another step closer to the grave, hair blew in her face as she starred downward.

"Did you hear that Will?" she asked with a faint smile tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear, "They'll never forget us, they'll-"

She abruptly stopped talking as Jack took a step into her peripheral vision.

She turned to him, not meaning to say anything nor having anything to say.

He looked up to her just as she glanced away.

"I know what's like…" he finally said, "It's not _that _bad."

She shook her head, "You always have to be there Jack… when I want you least… but need you most."

He took a step closer to her side, "I could leave if you'd like, love."

She turned to him, the wind once again blowing hair in her face, "Don't."

Her voice was strong, yet helpless, and all too urgent fro her liking.

"I mean," she began again looking away from his gaze, "you hate me. I _know _you hate me and you _should _hate me."

"I know why you did… it, let's just leave it at that."

"No!" she said after a beat. His tone was far too nonchalant to sound sincere to her. "I can't just leave it at that Jack, I can't have us part with a mere 'let's pretend it's fine'."

"Then what do you propose we do, Lizzy? Yes, you killed me. You did it to save yourself, William and the whole bloody crew. You did what I wanted to do… what needed to be done."

There was a long pause before she spoke again, "Will saw it all."

Jack looked to her surprised before his dark eyes trailed back to the mass of freshly dug sand.

"Did he, then?"

"He thought…" she cleared her throat after hearing it crack, "he thought I loved you."

"Imagine that," Jack sneered as dryly as he could muster.

She shook her head, having as much as she could take, "How dare you patronize me, in this hour."

He turned to leave, "Denial fits you well Mrs. Turner nee Swann, ever think of trying on empathy for a change?"

She turned to follow him, "Forgive me for not graveling at you feet after my husband was just killed."

"Go ahead, turn this on me, after all I was trying to comfort you in your time of need!"

She huffed after him, yelling at the side of his face as he kept on forward, "You knew what you were doing Jack, trying to comfort me when I most needed it, hah! Never!" she stepped in front of him, "You know me too well for that. Just like you knew I wouldn't jump after my father back in the Locker. You came to me today for another reason entirely."

He looked down to her then around to their surroundings, "This whole scene seems very familiar to me eyes, Lizzy."

She narrowed her eyes, sick of hearing that name, "The island we were marooned on," she concluded.

"Aye, and that is what you and I are. Forever beckoning to one another trapped on an island. All the while neither one of us gives in, neither one of us stops running from the other one. Savvy?"

"Then let me be the first," she said standing her ground in front of him, "Will is gone, my father's dead, I'm a pirate king, for god's sake. I have nothing. No one to run to and nothing to live for."

Her face melted before him as a tear fell down her cheek, her lip quivering as she spoke, "What should I do, Jack?"

Jack knew Elizabeth. She was the strongest willed Governor's daughter he'd ever encountered. Not even most lady pirates he knew could lead an Armanda like she had. Where did all this fire she encompassed come from? Certainly not that bumbling father of hers.

Yes, he knew well enough, and he'd have been a fool to let such a remarkable woman go. She'd be a priceless addition to his crew. To have her on his side for once.

"You should come with me. Join me crew… one day you'll have your own, as a true pirate."

She stepped away from him, her face frozen, "Your crew?"

"Come now, I'm not bloody asking you to be me salty wench for morning, afternoon, and night! You'll be a respected crew member. But… feel free if the urge ever arises-"

"Jack. I've already had more than enough dealings with pirates," at her next words, she smirked a bit, or he swore that she did, "It would never have worked out between us."

"Keep telling yourself that, darling," was his quick reply.

She collapsed into his arms then, and he allowed her to. Even with all that she had done to him, he still couldn't deny her a shoulder to lean on. She buried her face in his upper arm quietly crying.

For once, she was herself. She didn't care about pirate Captain Jack Sparrow the man of legend, the man she had read about late at night. She didn't care about showing him an impressive mask woven of quixotic perfections.

At that moment, he was only Jack. The man who had saved her from a life she was never meant for and presented her with a new, grand, and exciting one.

"He's gone," she said once more now resting her temple on his shoulder.

He placed a hand on her upper back, "He wouldn't have wanted you to look back."

"How could you know what he wanted? I can't even tell what that is…"

"Elizabeth," began Jack pulling her off his shoulder, taking her by either shoulder so he could look her in the eye, "William would have wanted you safe. He would have wanted you happy and living. Now you can live here on this island, fine, go ahead. Or, ye can come with me, live on the Pearl. _Freedom_ over loneliness."

There was a hint of wanting to his voice then, he stopped talking as she only starred to him.

Part of him was questioning his sanity. _What are you thinking? A woman? You could never trust one of those. _

Still, another part was begging her to say she would. After all, ever since Anamaria left there'd been something of an aching hole in his heart.

She took a step away from him, whipping the tears from her eyes.

"Oh Jack… I-"

She looked over his shoulder to see Mr. Cotton's parrot pass by. The colorful bird made his gracefully squawking way to the darkest ship in sight, and within a moment had descended to his home on his mute master's shoulder.

She looked back to Jack who's vision had wandered over his shoulder to see what in the world she was starring at so intently.

"Jack, I… I accept," she finally said with all the assurance she could manage.


End file.
